🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <Oct.29.12.47.57.1992.19393@pilot.njin.net>, hubey@pilot.njin.net (Hubey) writes:
|> 
|> What are the necessary and sufficient conditions for a string of
|> letters to constitute a syllable ?
|> 
|> Is the existence of a vowel a necessary condition ? Is it sufficient ?
-- 

Well, some of the words in various Pacific Northwest languages, e.g.,
Bella Coola, consist of strings of obstruents, sans vowels as
generally phonemicized, and these perceptually consist of multiple
syllables, apparently with stop releases or fricatives functioning as
the resonance peaks.  I have heard it opined that such syllables
might involve, at least phonetically, voiceless vowels, but not by
actual students of these languages, and not in print.  There are,
also, of course, languages which have syllables in which the only
vowels are voiceless.  There are also languages in which fairly
distinct schwa-like sounds break up some clusters, without producing
an additional syllable, e.g., Dakotan words with stop+ resonant
clusters, cf. iglagla with three syllables, and five vocoids (at some
level).  There are various mechanisms by which two vowels might be
considered to fall in a single syllable, including diphthongization,
rearticulation, and glottalization.  I'm not sure how any of these
cases are handled in current phonological theory, but I'm sure they've
been considered.  I sure hope they have.

----
John E. Koontz (koontz@bldr.nist.gov)

Disclaimer:  Views and recommendations, express or implied, are my own, and
do not reflect the opinion or policy of my employers.